


Snow Bird

by balimaria



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Revali and Link are Hopeless Idiots, braiding, brief angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/balimaria/pseuds/balimaria
Summary: “Well, if you take my hair to be such a problem, then why don’t you fix it yourself?”“I- what?”It was the first time Link had heard Revali so honestly confused. Really, he didn’t know what had come over him. The Rito warrior had no obligation to do anything for him- he shouldn’t even have asked in the first place. But Link was fed up with him, consequences be damned.
Relationships: Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 528





	Snow Bird

**Author's Note:**

> Revalink? In /my/ 2020? It's more likely then you think!
> 
> I wrote this more as a warm-up then anything, but I liked it enough that I thought I should post it. Enjoy!

It was hard to see at night. Most people would think that an obvious fact, and yet here Link was, in the middle of Hebra, struggling to battle his way through a blizzard in the darkest hours of the night. Yet again, his charge had wandered off without him. It wasn’t that Link was upset with her- he would likely do the same thing had their roles been reversed- it was just a bit of a pain.

They had been staying at Rito Village, Zelda hoping to coax the warrior Revali into piloting Vah Medoh. But the second Link was distracted, she had vanished. There were two places she was likely to be, based on his knowledge: the Flight Range, or Tabantha Stable. The Flight Range was closer, so he opted to check that one first.

Link stumbled as his hair caught on a low-hanging conifer branch. Hissing slightly, he tugged it loose. There were still pine needles tangled in his ponytail, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment. 

Finally, he spotted the matte-orange glow of lit torches. He ran a hand through his hair, face twisting into a scowl as his fingers were halted by the knots.

Hopefully nobody would notice in the dark.

Sighing, he cajoled his expression into something stoic and unfazed. It was just a little snow. No problem for the Hero of Hyrule, was it?

It was a problem. He was wet, and cold, and a little pissed. But he was bound by the duty he’d never even asked for. The King would be disappointed in him. He couldn’t do the one thing he’d assigned him. Zelda would be disappointed, too. His sweat felt cold and clammy against his forehead. His parents and sister and every race of Hyrule would realize they’d chosen the wrong guy and he’d-

“Link? What in the stars are you doing out here?”

It was a face he’d only put a voice to recently. Revali didn’t seem to be much affected by the weather. Half-melted snow sloughed off his feathers in trickles. His electric green eyes seemed to glow through the dinge of the storm. The bow he held in his wing was as finely crafted as it had been the day before.

Now, don’t get him wrong- Revali was an asshole. He was boisterous and arrogant and stuck up. But even when they had only briefly met, Link could see there were more facets to his personality then met the eye. The only word he could use to describe what he thought of the Rito warrior was fascination. 

But Link couldn’t tell Revali any of that, could he?

So all he did was dip his head respectfully. 

“Master Revali,” he greeted.

Revali groaned and rolled his eyes. 

“Get your head out your ass, Champion. It’s the middle of the night! Answer my question.”

He blinked. “...Of course,” Link said. “I am here to find Princess Zelda. She seems to have wandered off.”

Revali smirked nastily. “Well, I’m afraid you just missed her. Guess you came out for nothing.”

Link did his best to school his expression. Even if he thought Revali had a little more going on then most would care to think, it didn’t make his snide comments any less infuriating. Even more so because he was right.

“Do you know which way she went?” he queried.

Revali stepped out onto the deck of the Flight Range, away from the warmth of the cookpot. “I imagine she’s gone back to the village, don’t you?” he said breezily.

_Yes, I suppose she would have._

“Thank you, Revali,” he replied coolly. “I hope to see you when the weather has cleared. Best wishes.”

With that, Link turned and prepared to leave as swiftly as possible without seeming rude.

“Champion.”

Link halted, pushing down a groan. He did not turn around as Revali’s talons clack-clack-clacked against the frozen wood. “Do you really intend to find the princess in such an awful state?”

“I am sure she will understand, given the circumstances,” he replied testily, trying not to think about the pine needles still twisted into his hair.

“I’m sure-” Revali laughed, “that the princess will be quite impressed that she leaves you alone for a few minutes and you’ve already managed to make a mess of yourself.”

“Well, if you take my hair to be such a problem, then why don’t you fix it yourself?”

“I- what?”

It was the first time Link had heard Revali so honestly confused. Really, he didn’t know what had come over him. The Rito warrior had no obligation to do anything for him- he shouldn’t even have asked in the first place. But Link was fed up with him, consequences be damned.

“Do… what?” Revali asked.

“My hair,” he clarified. “If it’s such a problem, then fix it yourself. I’m sure the princess would appreciate it.” Link tried to match the amount of snide Revali’s voice had. It felt… strangely freeing.

Revali seemed to go into some kind of scoffing fit. “Do your hair?” he choked out. “ _Your_ hair?”

“Well, sure,” he said casually. “You seem mighty good at it.” Link glanced at the braids dangling from Revali’s head.

The Rito gawked at him. “I- I don’t know. Aren’t you supposed to be getting back to the princess?”

Link hid a smile (since when had he smiled…?)

“I’m sure she wouldn’t want to see me in such a state,” he parroted.

Revali was silent for once. Link watched as flecks of snow got caught in his feathers. It was rather pretty. Did all Rito have such nice feathers?

“Fine. Come here.”

Link felt a jolt in his stomach (heart..?) He hadn’t genuinely expected Revali to say yes, given his entire persona.

 _Facets,_ his head reminded him.

So Link sat down on the icy planks of the range’s shelter. Revali sat behind him, back pressed against the wall. Link tried to ignore the way the Rito’s thighs brushed against his hip.

At that moment, he was rather glad Revali couldn’t see his face.

“Hold still,” Revali commanded stiffly. “Or I’ll put you back in the snow.”

Link held as still as his pounding chest would allow. Revali’s wingtips pulled at the band keeping his ponytail in place, letting Link’s hair fall loose. He started tugging out the larger of the twigs, then moved on to the flakes of tree bark and pine needles. Once he had removed the last of it, Revali dug his wings deep into Link’s hair, working out the knots and tangles. His movements were firm, and a little painful, but Link found he didn’t mind.

Eventually, Revali ran his wing experimentally through Link’s hair, checking for any straggling tangles. Finding none, he pulled aside three locks of his hair and twisted them into a braid. He reached down and snapped the hairband back in place.

“There,” he said, a strange undertone riding on his voice. “It’s done.”

Link stood, brushing a hand gently over Revali’s handiwork. 

“Thank you,” he said earnestly. “It’s quite beautiful.”

There was a scraping sound as Revali’s talons curled against the wood floor. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied, sounding strained. “Just don’t expect it to happen again, okay?”

Link frowned, turning his face away to Revali wouldn’t see. He’d have to find a subtle way to convince the Rito otherwise.

“I guess I’ll be off, then,” Link said.

“I guess you will,” Revali said.

Neither looked at each other as Link set out into the snow.

***

The following morning, Revali returned from his nighttime training to find Link standing guard outside the elder’s house, Princess Zelda presumably inside. He tried his best not to notice the braid Link’s hair was still pulled into, carefully fixed but still slightly mussed after the night. It didn’t mean anything. Link would likely do the same for any other Rito. He was a nice person, even if he didn’t like to show it.

Revali still hated him, though. Yup. He despised him. He looked at Link, with his perfect hair and perfect eyes and perfect clothes, and found not one redeemable quality.

At that moment, he was most certainly _not_ imagining the way Link’s hands would feel in his feathers.


End file.
